Every year many vehicle accidents are caused by impaired vehicle operation. One common kind of impaired vehicle operation is agitated, anxious, or aggressive driving. Numerous incidents occurring during the course of a trip may aggravate the vehicle operator, such as traffic jams, poor driving by other drivers, vehicle malfunctions, or inclement weather conditions. Additionally, factors unrelated to the trip may aggravate the vehicle operator, such as receipt of bad news, running behind schedule, passenger conduct, or any number of factors occurring prior to vehicle operation. These and other stressors may contribute to emotional responses of vehicle operators that impair their ability to operate vehicles safely.
Many modern vehicles are equipped with a variety of devices that may also have an impact on a vehicle operator's emotional state, such as sound systems. Music is known to influence the emotional state of listeners, and the effect is known to depend upon the music presented, as well as the musical tastes and preferences of the listener. A variety of systems and methods are available to learn listener preferences and predict whether a listener will generally enjoy a particular piece of music.